A Nostalgic New Year's Look At The 1950s

Forbes ^ | December 27, 2012 | Mark Hendrickson,

[donaldo]

That’s one classy lady! Thanks for the post. I remember aspiring to look decent when going out. I took pride in my appearance. I’ll never understand this “poverty chic” look. Those who were truly poor tried under sometimes trying circumstances to look their best when stepping out. I see trashy people everywhere now. I remember once reading that in a sense the president is the one person distillation of the American people. I’m beginning to believe it. God help us!

[Conservative4Ever]

I do believe you are correct.

[Mr Rogers]

My Mom grew up during the Depression on a small farm. Her Dad was allergic to work, so until her brothers got old enough to make things go, there was very little money. They all remember waiting until there was frost on the ground before they were allowed to wear shoes to school - although all their neighbors did the same. I can also remember being told, “Your clothes may not be new, but they WILL be clean!”

I think that is the difference that struck me most. People were expected to behave with some reserve and dignity. No slouching, no making loud noises, and keep at least SOME of your emotions to yourself. You might not be able to afford furs, but you could ALWAYS afford to clean your clothes and carry yourself upright and look folks in the eye.

[Little Bill]

My mom grew up in a Mass industrial town during the Depression. She was of Irish descent and worked her way the the Catholic School system, literally they had no money but she was VERY SMART.

She used to buy us winter jackets every year. She confessed to me that she envied the girls that could afford winter jackets, it gets Cold in Mass, and she didn't have one.

[Fiji Hill]

But we never stand still, and the odd thing is that the '50s culture, while it was so different than today, carried the seeds of its own undoing.

One must remember that during the 1950's, the culture was coarsening and welfare staters were busily hatching their collectivist schemes, as illustrated in the following books:

• Crowd Culture--An Examination of the American Way of life by Bernard Iddings Bell (New York: Harper, 1952). Bell's Crisis in Education: A Challenge to American Complcency (New York: Whittlesey, 1949) is also worth reading.

• The Decline of the American Republic and How to Rebuild It by John T. Flynn (New York: Devin Adair, 1955)

• The Age of Conformity by John C. Valentine (Chicago: Regnery, 1954)

• (Experts Warn: Our Schools, Colleges, Laboratories are Turning Out) Second-Rate Brains edited by Kermit Lansner (sine loco, Newsweek, 1958)

• Educational Wastelands: The Retreat from Learning in Our Public Schools by Arthur E. Bestor (Urbana, Ill.: University of illinois Press, 1953)

• Collectivism in the Churches: A Documented Account of the Political Activities of the Federal, National and World Council of Churches by Edgar C. Bundy (Wheaton, Ill.: Church League of America, 1958)

• The Quiet Betrayal by Sidney de Love (Chicago: Normandie, 1960)

[firebrand]

One Sunday at mass, the priest asked how many people knew what the id and the ego were. A few hands went up. “I see most of you didn’t watch Bishop Sheen Tuesday night.”

[stuartcr]

Sounds very pleasant, you must have some nice memories.

Happy New Year

[stuartcr]

That’s why my mom never wanted to go shopping. She was born in 1920.

[Conservative4Ever]

I do, but there are always some unhappy ones too.

Happy New Year to you, also.

[Twinkie]

You’re so right! Simple cleaning products do about as good a job as the industrial strength chemicals; and you don’t get all those awful caustic fumes. - I sprinkle DIATOMACEOUS EARTH in out of the way places; and for 27 years the only bugs I’ve seen have been few and far between and mostly expired. (Diatomaceous earth can get in the eyes and scratch like fire if you get it on your hands and happen to rub it around your eyes. Keep away from pets & children.)

And yes, BORAX is good and smells SO clean. - Most laundry detergents leave a residue on my clothes that burn my skin; so I get Arm & Hammer brand laundry detergent that has no additives in it, no perfumes and stuff like that. I clean my kitchen sink with BORAX or BAKING SODA with a little cheap white vinegar. I keep spray bottles of a mix of DISTILLED WATER and half 3% HYDROGEN PEROXIDE to spray on kitchen counters and bathroom counters, etc. It makes it so easy to keep things CLEAN ENOUGH, which is now enough for me.

[Twinkie]

Beautiful lady!

[Fiji Hill]

I took that quiz and scored 92% for an A-.

[knarf]

I confess I was more into T and A than RPM

[Bigg Red]

Thank you. And may God bless you, as well.